The present invention relates to internal combustion engines and, more specifically, to an improved engine construction resulting in lower emissions of harmful exhaust gases and conversion to useful work of a greater portion of the energy of combustion.
A great deal of research effort and money has been directed toward a suitble power system for automotive and other types of vehicles wherein the by-products of the energy source are ecologically acceptable. Automotive vehicles comprise a large share of the atmospheric pollution sources due to the level of nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons contained in the exhaust gases of the engines used in the enormous number of such vehicles. Virtually all automotive engines in current use are of the internal combustion type and burn a fuel mixture of air and gasoline, or other petroleum type fuel. It is generally regarded as economically unfeasible to change in a short time from conventional mechanical engine designs to radically different types of power plants. Accordingly, those efforts which have received the greatest attention from a commercial standpoint are those which involve modification of existing equipment by adding filters, reactors, etc., to reduce harmful emissions.
Unfortunatly, the devices which have thus far been put into commercial use, and others which appear effective to produce acceptable emission levels from more or less standard engines tend to decrease substantially the efficiency in terms of power output per unit of fuel consumed. There is, therefore, a conflict between the use presently acceptable anti-pollution devices and conservation of basic energy sources.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an internal combustion engine having ecologically acceptable emissions while at the same time increasing the amount of work output per unit of fuel consumed.
Another object is to provide an engine having superior performance characteristics allowing smaller space and weight for the same horse power.
A further object is to produce a low emission, high efficiency internal combustion engine constructed of mechanical elements of the type currently in widespread commercial use in engines of this type.
Still another object is to provide an internal combustion engine wherein a minimal amount of heat energy is lost to the cooling medium through favorable ratio of area to volume.
A still further object is to provide an internal combustion engine having low emission of harmful gases while allowing a wide latitude of adjustments for control of fuel-air mixtures.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.